This application claims priority of Japanese Application No. 2001-370553, filed Dec. 4, 2001, the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an IC card reader. More specifically, the present invention provides an improved IC card reader in which the tip of an IC card is pushed against an IC contact block so that the IC contact block moves to cause the IC contact of the IC contact block to touch the contact terminal pattern of the IC card to read and write data onto the IC card.
b) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a popularly available IC card reader has a structure in which its IC contact block is lowered to let the IC contact block touch the IC contact terminal pattern utilizing the transporting force of the IC card. In one of the examples of an IC card reader, the tip of the IC card touches the IC contact block moving the IC contact block together with the IC card.
In another example, an IC card reader comprises a card discharge port for discharging the IC card such that the IC card is discharged into a card reservoir, for example, provided in the rear end of the card reader (this type of card discharging operation is referred to as xe2x80x9crear dischargexe2x80x9d hereinafter) when a transaction is canceled after the IC card is inserted into the slot or the card is stuck and cannot manually be collected.
The IC card reader illustrated in FIG. 4 of Japanese Laid-open patent (Kokai) publication No. H09-147064, for example, comprises: driving rollers 102a-102d, which transfer IC card 101 and contact head 105: the tip of IC card 101 being transferred by driving rollers 102a-102d touching contact portion 103 of contact head 105 such that the IC card 101 transport motion also moves (pushes) contact portion 103 of contact head 105. In the middle of transportation of IC card 101, contact shoe 104 electrically contacts the terminal of IC card 101 thereby letting IC card 101 communicate with the card reader. As IC card 101 is transported further, contact portion 103 is removed from the tip of IC card 101 so that IC card 101 can pass through, when contact head 105 returns to its original position. In the IC card reader, contact shoe 104 of contact head 105 is capable of contacting and separating from the terminal of IC card 101. Reference symbol 106 denotes arms that support contact head 105.
The IC card reader disclosed in Japanese Laid-open patent (Kokai) publication No. H10-27220 comprises, as illustrated in FIG. 5, hook 204 for accurately aligning contact 202 on IC card 201 and contact 203 on the card reader side in a manner that it would not prevent movement of IC card 201. Hook 204 stands up during alignment such that the edge of IC card 201 contacts thereagainst and is stored in contact holder 205 at the time of in-take motion of IC card 201.
Nonetheless, in these IC card readers, accuracy of alignment deviates when IC contact block (contact portion 103 and contact holder 205) is held at a contact point where data on IC card 201 is read out or written. This may cause inconsistency in contact pressure and adversely affect accuracy of reading or writing data from/to the IC card. In addition, when contact holder 205 is used, contact 202 may slide along IC card 201 at the time of rear discharge motion, thereby damaging contact 201.
In contrast, when a stopper is provided for aligning the IC contact blocks (103 and 205), the IC contact block is structured to provide alignment thereof. As a result, the IC contact block becomes stationary thereon once alignment is done. At this stage, the registration plate gets into the card transport path, making the rear discharge of IC card 101 or 201 impossible.
To overcome the drawback, the present invention provides an IC card reader, which is capable of accurately aligning an IC contact block at a contact point without damaging the IC contact and allowing the rear discharge of an IC card.
An IC card reader comprising: a card transport path for passing an IC card; an abutting portion; and an IC contact, which contacts a contact terminal pattern of the IC card and is capable of coming close to or being distanced from the IC card. The IC card reader further comprises: a card discharge port, which is provided at the rear end of the card transport path than the IC contact block; regulation means for regulating the distance between the IC contact block and the card transport path; driving means for releasing control of the distance; and a stopper for aligning the IC contact block which has come close to the card transport path. When the IC card left on the card transport path needs to be discharged from the card discharge port, control of the regulation means is released such that the abutting portion and IC contact are removed from the card transport path at least to the position where the IC card cannot contact thereagainst.
In this card reader, regulation means regulates the distance between the IC contact block and the card transport path unless the IC card needs to be discharged from the rear end of the card reader. The abutting portion projecting from the IC contact block in this case is always located within (stands on) the card transport path. As a result, the tip of the card strikes the abutting portion during transport motion along the card transport path, which causes the IC contact block to move toward the IC card, thereby letting the IC contact touch the contact terminal pattern. Here, the IC contact block takes advantage of a stopper and stops at a given position, which stops the IC card by touching the abutting portion at a given position. The contact between the IC contact and the contact terminal pattern is thus stabilized, providing consistency to reading and writing of data onto the IC card. Accuracy of reading and writing of data from/onto the IC card is thus improved.
When one wants to rear discharge an IC card that was taken into a card reader, one activates a drive means to cancel control of the regulation means. Hence, the IC contact block can be kept away from the card transport path only for the distance (height) that was put on. Hence it is possible to keep the abutting portion and the IC contact off the card transport path. The IC card, the subject of the rear discharge, can thus be discharged from the rear end of the card reader without being interrupted by the abutting portion.
It is desirable that one adopts driving means that can instantly cancel control of the regulation means, for example, a solenoid for the IC card reader of the present invention.